Stefano Serpelloni, M.S.
PhD student
@SteSerpelloni
Stefano Serpelloni is a biomedical engineer that earned his master’s degree at Politecnico di Milano in October 2019.
He joined Dr. Taraballi’s lab, as an exchange student, while he was doing his master’s thesis.
The aim of his project was to develop an in vitro model, a so called Cartilage-On-Chip (CoC), for the study of degenerative Osteoarthritis.
Among the other results, he also focused his attention on the synthesis and characterization of a novel thermo responsible hydrogel as a biocompatible substitute of the cartilaginous extracellular matrix (ECM).
After the graduation, he was offered a position in Professor Taraballi’s lab in order to continue with his research on artificial ECM and on the development of a new CoC, able to recreate post-traumatic Osteoarthritis.
As a sports man he likes to play in particular soccer and he loves to spend time producing music, reading books and of course doing “engineering stuff”.
Chiara Mancino, PhD
Postdoctoral fellow
@ChiaraMancino_
Chiara Mancino is a Postdoctoral fellow in the Taraballi Lab with a master and a PhD degree in biomedical engineering. Her studies were dedicated to bionano technologies and she put them into practice while working on cardiac tissue engineering at Houston Methodist. Later on her focus shifted towards the synthesis of a different kind of biomaterial: liposomal-based nano-formulations are an excellent tool for drug delivery, and their versatility make it a powerful strategy for a variety of pathologies and common diseases. In the past years, she focused on mastering the development of a surgically induced Post Traumatic Osteoarthritis (PTOA) mouse model, while synthesizing nano-formulations for the purpose of joint and cartilage repair. Her latest interests revolve around the exploration of lipid nanoparticles for genetic cargo delivery in a variety of applications, such as gene therapy and vaccinations.
April Ewing, B.S.
Senior research assistant
@ac_ewing03
April Ewing is a research assistant with her BS in Microbiology. She has spent the bulk of her career working in the veterinary medicine world, and her experience working with animals was invaluable transitioning to the ability to handle rodents in experimental studies. She spent two years in the Nanomedicine Department at the University of Texas, where she helped to develop and apply the animal protocols employed in that lab. She recently joined the Taraballi lab with a focus toward the administrative aspects to organize an efficient laboratory.
She has a passion for cooking, which led her to spend two years working in a professional kitchen. Shealso enjoys reading (especially Fantasy and Science Fiction), listening to a wide range of music and practicing yoga and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Michael Williams, M.S.
PhD student
Michael is a PhD student at Swansea University, UK. Prior to his doctoral studies, he received his MSc in Regenerative Medicine from Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry. His work focusses on generating three-dimensional, in vitro models for ovarian cancer in order to better understand how the disease interacts with a complex cellular and structural environment during its development.
Giulia Zaffaroni, BS
Research Assistant
Giulia Zaffaroni works as a research assistant in the Taraballi lab. She has a BS in Biology and a minor in Medicine and Society. She spent a year working in the clinical field and has decided to pursue the research facet of medicine. She is interested in regenerative orthopedics and the potentiality of her research being brought back into the clinical field. She is currently working on the maintenance of the cell culture lab and developing cells for various experiments.
Gioacchino De Sario Velasquez, MD
Postdoctoral fellow
Dr. Gioacchino De Sario Velasquez is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Reconstructive surgery department at Houston Methodist. Dr. De Sario Velasquez is a Venezuelan medical doctor celebrated for his commitment to patient care, academia, and research. He graduated Cum Laude from Universidad De Oriente, Anzoátegui, in 2017, ranking second in his class. Dr. De Sario Velasquez’s medical experience includes working in both urban hospitals and rural settings in Venezuela. In the U.S., he acquired the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates certification. As a researcher, Dr. De Sario Velasquez has participated in pre-clinical studies and has contributed to several scientific manuscripts. Currently, Dr. De Sario Velasquez plays an integral role in the BioBreast study.
Madeline Franke – EnMed student
Madeline Franke is a 3rd year medical student in the EnMed program where she is currently
studying to get a MD/MEng dual degree in medicine and engineering. She is originally from San
Antonio, Texas and received her bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Texas A&M
University. Her focus was in biomechanics and she has experience working in motion
biomechanics and orthopedic research. Currently, Madeline is interested in regenerative
orthopedics and nanotechnology. She is a student researcher in the Taraballi lab where she
investigates novel therapeutic options for osteoarthritis and the utilization of nanoparticles for
effective drug delivery.